Lot Essay
Thomas Tompion (1639-1713), known as "The Father of English Clockmaking", was England's foremost watch and clock maker. Though today Tompion is mainly known for his clocks during his lifetime it was for his watches that he was most famous.
The present lot is a very rare example unknown to the market until now and does not appear in Jeremy Evans published monograph and check list of Tompion works, published in 2006. The present example is rarer still having survived with its original cases and champleve dial. The watch is thought to have cost 11 pounds sterling in 1699 which was the equivalent of about four months salary for a well paid journeyman watchmaker.
Further to the rarity and freshness to the market of the Tompion 2934 is the presence of the punched mark E with number 25 is of particular interest. This is a batch mark and it would have been placed by an employee, one of Tompion's watchmakers, whose surname began with the letter E.
We are indebted to Mr. Jeremy Evans for his valuable assistance in researching this very rare and important timepiece.
The present lot is a very rare example unknown to the market until now and does not appear in Jeremy Evans published monograph and check list of Tompion works, published in 2006. The present example is rarer still having survived with its original cases and champleve dial. The watch is thought to have cost 11 pounds sterling in 1699 which was the equivalent of about four months salary for a well paid journeyman watchmaker.
Further to the rarity and freshness to the market of the Tompion 2934 is the presence of the punched mark E with number 25 is of particular interest. This is a batch mark and it would have been placed by an employee, one of Tompion's watchmakers, whose surname began with the letter E.
We are indebted to Mr. Jeremy Evans for his valuable assistance in researching this very rare and important timepiece.